Bleeding control device

ABSTRACT

A bleeding control device for mitigating bleeding includes an outer storage container housing, a compressed gas canister, wound blocking contents and a control element. The bleeding control device may be used to deliver variable contents to a wound at the site of injury to control the bleeding of a victim as temporary solution for mitigating the bleeding until more advanced medical care can be provided. A bleeding control device includes a canister housing, a compressed gas canister arranged within the canister housing, a tube connected to the canister housing, an inflatable balloon disposed on the tube, the inflatable balloon being fluidly connected to the compressed gas canister, and a control element configured to activate the compressed gas canister to inflate the inflatable balloon.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/733,655, filed on Jan. 3, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/815,632, filed on Mar. 8, 2019,each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to bleeding control at or nearthe site of an injury at the time when traumatic injury occurs, and moreparticularly, to an apparatus and method for quickly and efficientlycovering and blocking a wound to control bleeding without needingadvanced knowledge of first aid procedures.

BACKGROUND

Current bleeding control techniques for rapid blood loss includeapplying a tourniquet above a bleeding injury and/or packing a woundwith gauze and applying pressure to the wound to reduce bleeding. Ineither case, if pressure is reduced, even for a short duration, anyclots that have formed to slow bleeding may become ruptured anddislodged, causing bleeding to resume at a flow level comparable to thebleeding prior to treatment being applied. Additionally, typical woundpacking must be done at a given density, generally immediately followingthe injury, otherwise the blood flow may not be slowed to an acceptablelevel. Moreover, some first aid training must have been acquired foreffective use of such prior art techniques, or treatment may not extendthe very short duration between untreated bleeding wounds and death.Accordingly, there is a need for a device that can be deployed withminimal effort to assist in such situations and assist in controllingand mitigating bleeding, that is, moreover, portable and easy enough touse in trauma situations by a layperson.

SUMMARY

In embodiments according to the present disclosure a bleeding controldevice includes an outer storage container housing, a compressed gascanister arranged within the outer storage container housing, woundblocking content arranged within the outer storage container housing,and an input element configured to activate the compressed gas canisterto deploy the wound blocking content from the outer storage containerhousing.

In embodiments according to the present disclosure a bleeding controldevice includes an outer storage container housing, a compressed springarranged within the outer storage container housing, wound blockingcontent arranged within the outer storage container housing, and aninput element configured to activate the compressed spring to deploy thewound blocking content from the outer storage container housing.

In embodiments according to the present disclosure a bleeding controldevice includes a canister housing, a compressed gas canister arrangedwithin the canister housing, a tube connected to the canister housing,an inflatable balloon disposed on the tube, the inflatable balloon beingfluidly connected to the compressed gas canister, and an input elementconfigured to activate the compressed gas canister to inflate theinflatable balloon.

Objects, features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in light of the description of embodiments and featuresthereof, as enhanced by the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a bleeding control device in a non-deployedstate in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the bleeding control device of FIG. 1 in adeployed state in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a variant embodiment of the bleedingcontrol device of FIG. 1 in a deployed state in a wound of a patient inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a bleeding control device in a deployedstate in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a bleeding control device in a deployedstate in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a bleeding control device in a deployedstate in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 7A is an illustration of a bleeding control device in anon-deployed state in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B is an illustration of the bleeding control device of FIG. 7Awith the detachable base detached from the canister housing inaccordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a bleeding control device in a non-deployedstate in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic illustration of a bleeding controldevice 10 is shown in a non-deployed state in accordance with thepresent disclosure. The device 10 comprises an outer storage containerhousing 12, a compressed gas canister 14, wound blocking content(s) 16and a gas supply line 18 connected to the wound blocking contents 16.The outer storage container housing 12 has a tubular-shaped body thatextends in a longitudinal direction 20 from a proximate end 38 to adistal end 36. The compressed gas canister 14 is disposed within theouter storage container housing 12 proximate the proximate end 38 andthe wound blocking contents 16 is disposed within the outer storagecontainer housing 12 proximate the distal end 36. The gas supply line 18extends in the longitudinal direction 20 within the outer storagecontainer housing 12 from the wound blocking contents 16 to a piercingend 22 proximate to the compressed gas canister 14. A piston 24 isarranged within the outer storage container housing 12 between thecompressed gas canister 14 and the wound blocking contents 16, with thegas supply line 18 extending through the piston 24. The piston 24 ismovable along the gas supply line 18 in the longitudinal direction 20and is configured to drive the wound blocking contents 16 from thedevice 10. The device 10 further comprises an activator 28 configured toactivate the compressed gas canister 14 and/or actuate the compressedthe gas canister 14. The activator 28 may be, for example, a mechanismthat pierces the gas canister 14 to release the compressed gas, acontrollable valve that is opened through a user input such as a button,switch or the like to release the compressed gas, or any other knownmechanism for controlling the flow of gas from a reservoir. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 1, the wound blocking contents 16 is aninflatable balloon that is configured to be inflated by compressed gasfrom the compressed gas canister 14 when the compressed gas canister 14is activated by the activator 28. The bleeding control device 10 may beconfigured to output gas flow from the compressed gas canister 14 at afixed preset pressure level to inflate the inflatable balloon to thefixed pressure level.

The bleeding control device 10 may optionally comprise a regulator 30configured to control the output gas flow from the compressed gascanister 14 when activated. The flow through the regulator 30 may bevariably controlled and/or set to a desired pressure output through anadjustable control 32. When the optional regulator 30 is included, theinflatable balloon 16 may be inflated to a desired or predeterminedpressure (and maintain that pressure) as is discussed in greater detailbelow. In some embodiments, the regulator 30 may be connected directlyor indirectly with the compressed gas canister 14, and an input element,such as the activator 28 or the adjustable control 32, is configured tocause the regulator 30 to activate the compressed gas canister 14 bycausing the regulator 30 to open the compressed gas canister 14 withoutthe need to pierce the compressed gas canister 14. For example, theregulator 30 may be in the form of a valve that determines an openingdegree of the compressed gas canister 14.

As seen in FIG. 1, the bleeding control device 10 may also comprise anoptional stop 34 that prevents the piston 24 and/or wound blockingcontents 16 from being introduced too far into the bleeding controldevice 10.

Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic illustration of the bleeding controldevice 10 of FIG. 1 is shown in a deployed state. To change the bleedingcontrol device 10 from the non-deployed state shown in FIG. 1 to thedeployed state of FIG. 2, the activator 28 is actuated by a user. Inthis embodiment, the activator 28 is actuated by pressing the activator28 into the interior of the outer storage container housing 12 at theproximate end 38 towards the compressed gas canister 14. This pushes thecompressed gas canister 14 against the piercing end 22 of the gas supplyline 18, which pierces the compressed gas canister 14 and causespressurized gas to flow into the inside of the outer storage containerhousing 12. This flow of pressurized gas may also be accomplished with avalve instead of a piercing connection to the canister 14. Thepressurized gas flows throughout the outer storage container housing 12,both outside the gas supply line 18 and within the gas supply line 18.The pressurized gas outside of the gas supply line 18 causes the piston24 is to move in the longitudinal direction 20 toward the distal end 36of the outer storage container housing 12, which drives the piston 24 inthe longitudinal direction 20 toward the distal end 36. The movement ofthe piston 24 pushes the inflatable balloon 16 (wound blockingcontent(s)) out of the outer storage container housing 12 at the distalend 36 through physically pushing with direct or indirect contact withthe inflatable balloon 16 (or wound blocking content(s)) and/or throughcausing the air between the piston 24 and the inflatable balloon 16 topush the inflatable balloon 16. When the piston 24 finishes its traveland/or reaches the piston stop 26, the piston 24 stops moving and thepressurized gas inside the gas supply line 18 inflates the inflatableballoon 16 outside of the outer storage container housing 12.Optionally, once the piston 24 reaches the intended travel distance thegas flow outside the gas supply line may cease. In this embodiment, thepiston stop 26 is arranged at an intermediate position of the device 10in the longitudinal direction 20, but other positions are within thescope of the present disclosure.

The inflatable balloon 16 includes an optional gauze material 44 thatsurrounds the inflatable balloon 16, or at least a portion thereof. Thegauze material 44 may be configured to provide enhanced clottingability. For example, the gauze material 44 may be a hemostatic-infusedgauze and function as a hemostatic sheath. In some embodiments, ahemostatic powder dispersal mechanism may be utilized to further enhancethe mitigation of bleeding from the wound 40, shown in FIG. 3, byapplying hemostatic powder 46 to the wound 40, shown in FIG. 3, beforeinflation of the inflatable balloon 16. For example, the hemostaticpowder 46 may be deposited on the inflatable balloon 16, i.e., woundblocking contents, so that the hemostatic powder is dispersed into thewound 40 when the inflatable balloon 16 is expelled from the outerstorage container housing 12. The hemostatic powder 46 may be sprayedinto the wound 40 cavity, shown in FIG. 3, by pressing the hemostaticpowder 46 through a mesh during expulsion. The un-inflated balloon 16 isthen pressed into the wound 40 by the continued motion of the piston 24and the balloon 16 begins to inflate in the wound 40 once the piston 24reaches the end of its travel at the piston stop 26 or substantiallyproximate thereto, as discussed above. The inflatable balloon 16 isinflated inside the hemostatic sheath (if equipped) and inflates to fillthe wound cavity 40, thereby applying pressure to the entire areacontacted by the inflatable balloon 16. In this embodiment, the pistonstop 26 is arranged at the distal end 36 of the device 10.

In some embodiments, the wound blocking content(s) 16 comprises gauze,antibiotic agents, hemostatic material and/or powder for woundtreatment, or any combination thereof in conjunction with the inflatableballoon, or used independently. Additionally, while the activator 28 isshown in the form of a button in FIGS. 1 and 2, other activationmechanisms are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example,and without limitation, the activator 28 may be a switch, diaphragm,knob, slider or electronic assembly configured to activate the bleedingcontrol device 10 following an input from a user.

Referring to FIG. 3, a schematic illustration of a variant embodiment ofthe bleeding control device 10 of FIG. 1 is shown in a deployed state ina wound 40 of a patient 42. This embodiment differs from the embodimentof FIG. 1 in that the piston stop 26 is arranged at the distal end 36 ofthe device 10 instead of at an intermediate position as shown in FIG. 1.The distal end 36 of the outer storage container housing 12 is placeddirectly into the wound 40 of the patient 42 or substantially proximatethereto by a user, which may be any person operating the bleedingcontrol device 10, including the patient in some circumstances. Then,the user actuates the activator 28. As discussed above, in thisembodiment, the activator 28 is actuated by pressing the activator 28into the interior of the outer storage container housing 12 at theproximate end 38 towards the compressed gas canister 14. This pressesthe compressed gas canister 14 against the piercing end 22 of the gassupply line 18, shown in FIG. 1, thereby piercing the compressed gascanister 14 and causing pressurized gas to flow into the outer storagecontainer housing 12. The pressurized gas flows throughout the outerstorage container housing 12, both outside the gas supply line 18 andwithin the gas supply line 18. The pressurized gas outside of the gassupply line 18 causes the piston 24 to move toward the distal end 36 andcauses the inflatable balloon 16 (the wound blocking content(s)) to exitthe outer storage container housing 12 at the distal end 36 and moveinto the wound 40 of the patient 42. When the piston 24 finishes itstravel and/or reaches the piston stop 26, the pressurized gas inside thegas supply line 18 inflates the inflatable balloon 16 to fill the wound40.

The pressure of the gas delivered from the compressed gas canister 14 isfed into the regulator 30, which at least initially drives the piston 24to expel some or all of the wound blocking contents 16, including theinflatable balloon, from outer storage container housing 12 and into thewound 40. The pressure driving the piston 24 may, at least initially, behigher than the pressure inflating the inflatable balloon 16 to ensurethe inflatable balloon (or wound blocking contents) 16 are ejected fromthe outer storage container housing 12. As the inflatable balloon 16inflates, the inflatable balloon 16 fills the cavity of the wound 40.The regulator 30 can be adjusted through the adjustable control 32 toincrease or decrease the pressure in the inflatable balloon 16 if thedesired outcome is not being achieved. For example, the pressure may beincreased if the wound blocking contents 16 is not sufficiently sealingthe wound 40 or may be decreased if it appears that the inflatableballoon is overinflated relative to the cavity of the wound 40. Theregulator 30 may have a plurality of different discrete pressure levelsettings of inflation pressure and may initially be set to its lowestpressure level setting and then increased depending on the pressurerequired to stop bleeding or a desired pressure is reached. Theregulator 30 may also serve to keep the inflatable balloon 16 at a givenor steady inflation level once inflated so as to not over-pressurize orunder-pressurize the inflatable balloon 16. If the pressure is notsufficient to staunch the bleeding, a user may manually select toincrease the regulator 30 setting through the adjustable control 32 tothe next pressure level setting to further pressurize the balloon 16 toachieve the desired result.

While the compressed gas canister 14 has been described herein as beingfilled with gas, other materials or substances configured to be storedunder pressure are within the scope of the present disclosure. Forexample, and without limitation, the compressed gas canister 14 may becharged with carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and/or water.While the gas supply line 18 is shown as a single piece rigid tube, itis within the scope of the present disclosure for the gas supply line 18to be a plurality of rigid tubes (i.e. multi-piece), or a flexibletubing, or any combination thereof. For example, the gas supply line 18could be a single rigid tube connected to flexible tubing(s) or aplurality of rigid tubes connected to flexible tubing(s).

Referring to FIG. 4, a bleeding control device 48 according to anotherembodiment comprising an alternative wound blocking contents 16 is shownin a deployed state. Elements with like reference numerals to elementsdiscussed above in connection with FIGS. 1-3 are the same and will notbe discussed in further detail. In this second embodiment, the woundblocking contents 16 are in the form of packed gauze 50. The piston 24forces the packed gauze 50 out of the outer storage container housing 12into or around the wound 40. As the gauze 50 exits the outer storagecontainer housing 12 at the distal end 36, the gauze 50 spreads out tocover the wound 40, thereby controlling and/or blocking bleeding fromthe wound 40. As with the wound blocking contents discussed above, thegauze 50 may be embedded with a hemostatic agent or powder to provide afaster alternative than manual wound packing while providing a similarresult.

Referring to FIG. 5, a bleeding control device 52 is shown in accordancewith another embodiment of the present disclosure. Elements with likereference numerals to elements discussed above in connection with FIGS.1-4 are the same and will not be discussed in further detail. In thisthird embodiment, the bleeding control device 52 includes a springdeployment system for deploying the wound blocking contents 16 insteadof the compressed gas delivery system discussed above. The springdeployment system comprises a spring 54, or other similar resilientmember, that is configured to drive the wound blocking contents 16 fromthe distal end 36 of the outer storage container housing 12 whenactivated by the activator 28. The spring 54 is in a compressed statewhen the device 52 is in a non-deployed state, and expands to anon-compressed state (or less compressed state) when the device 52 isactivated by the activator 28 to deploy the wound blocking content(s) 16as the device 52 transitions to a deployed state. The choice between thespring deployment system and the compressed gas delivery system may bebased on the deployment and/or reliability characteristics desired inthe resulting bleeding control device.

Referring to FIG. 6, a bleeding control device 56 is shown in accordancewith another embodiment of the present disclosure. Elements with likereference numerals to elements discussed above in connection with FIGS.1-5 are the same and will not be discussed in further detail. Thebleeding control device 56 includes the spring deployment systemdiscussed above in connection with FIG. 5 to deploy the wound blockingcontents 16 from the outer storage container housing 12. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 6, the wound blocking contents 16 is theinflatable balloon 16 as in FIGS. 1-3. In this embodiment, thecompressed gas canister 14 inflates the inflatable balloon 16 only whenthe bleeding control device 56 is activated, but does not provide thedriving force for driving the piston 24 to force the wound blockingcontents 16 from the distal end 36 of the outer storage containerhousing 12 of the bleeding control device 56. Actuation of the activator28 may simultaneously (or substantially simultaneously) activate boththe spring 54 of the spring deployment system and the compressed gascanister 14. Alternatively, the bleeding control device 56 may includeseparate activators 28 for the spring 54 and compressed gas canister 14.As discussed in the embodiments above, once the inflatable balloon 16 isdeployed, a regulator 30 may control pressure from the compressed gascanister 14 to inflate the inflatable balloon 16 to the desired pressureand/or to maintain the pressure, for example, within predetermined upperand lower pressure limits.

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, a bleeding control device 58 is shown inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 58comprises a canister housing 60 connected to a rigid tube 62 through anoptional detachable base 64. The detachable base 64 is configured todetach from the canister housing 60. The canister housing 60 includes acompressed gas canister 66 having an optional regulator 68 andadjustable control 70. The compressed gas canister 66 is configured tobe activated by an activator 72. The rigid tube 62 extends in alongitudinal direction 74 and includes a pliable tip 76 at a distal end78 within an inflatable balloon 80. The compressed gas canister 66 isfluidly connected to the inflatable balloon 80 through flexible tubing82 and is configured to inflate the inflatable balloon 80 when activatedby the activator 72. While the tube 62 is described as being a rigidtube, virtually all degrees of rigidity of tubes are within the scope ofthe present disclosure. Further, the rigid tube 62 may be hollow orsolid. Additionally, the bleeding control device 58 may optionallyinclude a cap and/or sleeve (not shown) configured to cover the balloon80 and rigid tube 62 when the bleeding control device 58 is in thenon-deployed state to protect the balloon 80 and/or rigid tube 62 fromdamage and/or contamination before insertion into a wound. In FIG. 7B,the bleeding control device 58 is shown with the detachable base 64detached from the canister housing 60 and with broken lines 81indicating a shape and size of the inflatable balloon 80 when underpressure in an inflated state. Even when detached, the pressure of theinflatable balloon 80 may be controlled via adjustment of the adjustablecontrol 70, thereby controlling the pressure in the inflatable balloon80 through the flexible tubing 82. While the broken lines 81 show aparticular shape and size of the balloon 80 in the inflated state, it iswithin the scope of the present disclosure for the balloon 80 to beconfigured to inflate to a different shape and/or size as desired.

In operation, the optional cap (not shown) is removed from the device 58before use, if so equipped. The bleeding control device 58 may then beinserted into a wound, distal end 78 first, through an optionalguide/limiter 84 that prevents the balloon 80 from further widening theentry point of the wound. The optional guide/limiter 84 defines athrough-cavity 86 that is sized to receive the balloon 80 and rigid tube62 when the inflatable balloon 80 is not inflated. The bleeding controldevice 58 may be inserted to a desired depth and/or until the userinserting the device 58 feels a sufficient amount of resistance. Forexample, the bleeding control device 58 may be inserted until met withresistance from a bullet (or other foreign object) where the bullet (orother foreign object) is still in the patient, or may be inserted to adesired depth or until met with resistance from the bottom of a woundcavity when no bullet or foreign object is present in the patient, suchas for a stab or puncture injury. The balloon 80 may optionally bemarked with longitudinal measurements in the longitudinal direction 74to indicate the depth of the wound cavity when inserted into a patient.The maximum pressure may be limited to avoid causing further damage.Once the bleeding control device 58 is positioned in the wound, theactivator 72 is actuated to activate the compressed gas canister 66,thereby causing pressurized gas to flow through the flexible tubing 82and into the inflatable balloon 80 to inflate the inflatable balloon 80.The inflation of the inflatable balloon 80 applies pressure to the woundto mitigate bleeding until the patient can receive appropriate and morethorough medical care.

Once the inflatable balloon 80 has been inflated in the wound cavity,the canister housing 60 may be detached via the detachable base 64 andmay be positioned away from the wound. For example, the canister housing60 may be arranged flat against the body and secured to the patient orthe patient's clothing by a hook and loop type fastener, adhesive, tape,or any similar fastening mechanism. The rigid tube 62 could then also beremoved, if desired, with a gasket material 88 preventing gas fromescaping from the balloon 80 through the opening where the rigid tube 62was arranged. The rod 62 and tubing 82 may be offset so the removal ofone does not affect the other. The rigid tube 62 can also be removed atany time after inflation without the base 64 being detached from thebody 60. The regulator 68 may be configured for maintaining the desiredpressure level within the balloon 80 and, therefore, would replenish gaslost due to an imperfect seal by the gasket material or gland 88, or anyunintended perforations of the balloon if necessary. Once the gascylinder is relocated against the body of the patient, additionalbandages may be wrapped around the wound to provide additional pressureand/or clotting assistance.

Advantageously, the device 58 having the detachable base 64 beingconfigured to detach from the canister housing 60 allows for thecanister housing 60 to become detached such that the canister housing 60may be laid down and secured to the patient's body, thereby reducinglength of the device 58 protruding from the patient in the longitudinaldirection 74. This reduction in length reduces the potential forinterference by the device 58 with first responders and/or medicalprofessionals while attending to the needs of the patient. The reductionin length may decrease the likelihood of the balloon 80 being jostled ordislodged by contact with a person or object. In some embodiments, foran even greater reduction in length and reduction of potentialinterference, the rigid tube 62 and/or gas supply line 82 is optionallyremovable from the inflatable balloon 80. The inflatable balloon 80 mayinclude the gasket 88 (or self-sealing grommet or valve) to prevent lossof pressure of the inflatable balloon 80 after removal of the rigid tube62 and/or gas supply line 82.

Advantageously, the device 58 allows for mitigating the bleeding ofwounds having relatively narrow entry points due to the configuration ofthe inflatable balloon 80 around the rigid tube 62. For example, thedevice 58 may be configured to address bleeding stemming from a woundcaused by a common military rifle caliber, such as 5.56 mm or 7.62 mm,which may have a potentially more narrow entry point opening compared tohandgun wound entry point openings. However, since the inflatableballoon 80 inflates to fill the wound cavity, this embodiment is alsoapplicable for use with larger wounds and/or larger entry pointopenings.

In some embodiments, the device 58 is configured such that theinflatable balloon 80 inflates at different rates and/or inflates todifferent widths. For example, the balloon 80 may be configured with aprogressive thickness so that a first portion of the balloon 80 near thedistal end 78 inflates before a second portion of the balloon 80 furtherfrom the distal end 78 than the first portion in the longitudinaldirection 74 (e.g. a second portion nearest the canister housing 60),and/or inflates to a different size and/or shape in order to provide adifferent applied pressures at different regions of the balloon 80 inthe longitudinal direction 74. A balloon 80 configured in this mannermay control bleeding by first filling a distal gap in an exit woundopening, or in the case of a wound without an exit, the wound portionfurthest from the entry wound, which may be larger than an entry woundopening to avoid opening the entry wound further and/or by applyingmore/less pressure at one portion of the wound relative to anotherportion of the wound because of the predetermined shape of the balloon80.

Referring to FIG. 8, a bleeding control device 90 is shown in accordancewith the present disclosure. The device 90 is similar in structure anduse to the device 58 of FIG. 7. Elements with like reference numerals toelements discussed above in connection with FIGS. 1-7 are the same andwill not be discussed in further detail. In this embodiment, there is amulti-piece tube or rod structure comprising an outer tube 62A and aninner tube (or rod) 62B. The inner tube 62B includes a pliable tip 76 ata distal end 78. The difference in use is that once the cap was removedthe top of the balloon 80 may be loosely tethered to the cap to extendthe inner tube 62B to full length or the user could manually extend theballoon 80 (preferably with a gloved hand) by withdrawing the inner tube62B from the outer tube 62A in a longitudinal direction 74. The tube mayhave a protrusion that locks the tube (or rod) 62A in place to preventthe tube (or rod) 62A from being collapsed once extended. The remainderof the use is the same as the description above. Advantageously, thisembodiment may provide a more compact package to facilitate the carryingand/or storage of the device 90 when not in use. In some embodiments,the length of the outer tube 62A and inner tube (or rod) 62B is forinstance, 6-8 inches in length in the longitudinal direction 74 when inthe collapsed condition, but 12 inches in length when fully extended.However, other lengths (in both the collapsed and fully extendedconditions) are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example,in the collapsed condition the length of the outer tube 62A and innertube (or rod) 62B may be 4 inches in length in the longitudinaldirection 74.

Advantageously, bleeding control devices in accordance with the presentdisclosure may comprise an inflatable balloon, gauze, a hemostaticmaterial or powder for wound treatment, or any combination thereof. Insome embodiments, a safety lockout may be provided to prevent accidentaldischarge. Additionally, all of the wound blocking contents describedherein may advantageously include X-Ray contrast material such as a finemetal wire, metalized polyester film embedded in the balloon or othersuch devices configured to show up on an x-ray in order to alert medicalstaff to the balloon's or wound blocking contents' presence within thewound.

In use of the various bleeding control devices described herein, an endof the device being used is placed proximate to, or directly into, awound opening and the actuator button is pressed or actuated. When theactuator button is actuated, the compressed gas canister, potentiallyfilled with CO2, will either be pierced, or otherwise caused to open todirect gas flow within the outer storage container housing. The gas flowmay be directed through a regulator that controls the gas flow pressureto drive a piston forward within the outer storage container housing toeject or expel the wound blocking contents out of the end of the deviceand into and/or around the wound cavity. If bleeding control is pursuedquickly and correctly with the various bleeding control devicesdescribed herein, bleeding may be quickly controlled until more advancedcare and treatment can be obtained.

According to the present disclosure, a bleeding control method comprisesproviding a bleeding control device, and activating the bleeding controldevice to deploy wound blocking content(s) contained within an outerstorage container housing into a wound of a patient. In someembodiments, the wound blocking content(s) comprise an inflatableballoon, and the method further comprises inflating the inflatableballoon to a predetermined pressure or desired pressure while theinflatable balloon is inside the wound in order to apply sufficientpressure to the wound to stop or reduce bleeding.

In some embodiments, the compressed gas canister may be replaceable witha replacement cartridge compressed gas canister. In other embodiments,the compressed gas canister cannot be replaced and the bleeding controldevice is a single use device. Alternatively, the bleeding controldevice may include a compressed gas canister that cannot be replaced,but the compressed gas canister may have enough charge therein forseveral uses where the wound blocking contents are replaced. In someembodiments, the replacement cartridge compressed gas canister has athreaded portion allowing the compressed gas canister to thread directlywith the regulator of the device.

In accordance with the present disclosure, different packaging optionsare available for the inflatable balloon being disposed within the outerstorage container housing. For example, inflatable balloons withdifferent inflation characteristics may be provided to conform todifferent wound types, such as deep narrow wounds, wide narrow wounds orwounds with distinctive entry wound openings. Moreover, the variousbleeding control devices described herein may be configured so that auser can replace the inflatable balloons by attaching them to a gasnozzle in communication with the regulator so that the user can selectan appropriate balloon for a specific wound. Any of the inflatableballoon size or shape configurations may be provided withhemostatic-infused gauze surrounding the balloon to encourage clottingby additional means than solely by pressure as discussed above. A powderdispersal mechanism, which could be a plastic mesh and packed powderpositioned within the outer storage container housing before the balloonalso may be used to spread a clotting agent or any other agent such as,but not limited to, antibacterial agents before applying pressure to thewound with the balloon.

All balloon variants of wound blocking contents in accordance with thepresent disclosure may make use of a regulator, which could be operatedto increase or decrease pressure if the desired outcome is not beingachieved. The balloon may have a short length of tubing that would allowthe body of the device to be laid on top of the patient with the outercontainer of the device having hook fasteners (similar to the hook sideof hook and loop fasteners) to stick to the clothing or bandages of thepatient. The regulator may have a deflation setting or could be piercedby hospital staff once the patient arrives at a care facility in orderto deflate the inflatable balloon for removal from the wound. Allballoon variants may be configured to maintain an inflation andregulation source.

Additionally, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure, z-folded gauze or other absorptive material may be injectedinto and/or around a wound cavity. The gauze could be packed within theouter storage container housing in a folded state, and unfold in oraround the wound cavity once deployed. The gauze may also include anembedded hemostatic agent or powder to more quickly mitigate bleedingcompared to traditional manual wound packing. If required, multipledevices may be utilized to complete wound packing and provide anexpedited form for tending to a bleeding wound. Additionally, suchdevices may be used along side a traditional pressure bandage and manualpressure.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, a bleedingcontrol device may be used to deploy a powder to a wound. As disclosedherein, the powder could be deployed with additional wound blockingcontents, such as a balloon or gauze packing. In the alternative, thestorage container could be packed with powder and the pressing of theactuator button deploys a power to the wound cavity. The powder may behemostatic or a mixture of hemostatic and antibiotic materials or thelike.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, a bleedingcontrol device may utilize a balloon or balloon sheath coated with athin layer of antibacterial cream which may assist in insertion anddirect application to the balloon areas of contact.

Advantageously, the present disclosure provides bleeding control devicesthat provide new, optimized and efficient approaches to covering andblocking a wound to control bleeding.

Although various features have been shown in different figures forsimplicity, it should be readily apparent to one of skill in the artthat various features may be combined without departing from the scopeof the present disclosure.

The foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention hasbeen presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It isnot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the formdisclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above disclosure. The embodiments described were chosen to bestillustrate the principles of the invention and practical applicationsthereof to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize theinvention in various embodiments and with various modifications assuited to the particular use contemplated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bleeding control device comprising: an outerstorage container housing; a compressed gas canister arranged within theouter storage container housing; wound blocking content arranged withinthe outer storage container housing; and an input element configured toactivate the compressed air canister to deploy the wound blockingcontent from the outer storage container housing.
 2. The bleedingcontrol device according to claim 1, further comprising a piston movablyarranged within the outer storage container housing, wherein thecompressed gas canister, when activated, is configured to move thepiston to deploy the wound blocking content from the outer storagecontainer housing.
 3. The bleeding control device according to claim 1,wherein the wound blocking content comprises a hemostatic material. 4.The bleeding control device according to claim 1, wherein the woundblocking content comprises packed gauze or other absorbent material. 5.The bleeding control device according to claim 1, wherein the woundblocking content comprises an inflatable balloon.
 6. The bleedingcontrol device according to claim 5, wherein the inflatable ballooncomprises a hemostatic and/or antibiotic material.
 7. The bleedingcontrol device according to claim 5, further comprising a gas supplyline connecting the compressed gas canister with the inflatable balloon,wherein the compressed gas canister is configured to inflate theinflatable balloon.
 8. The bleeding control device according to claim 7,wherein the gas supply line comprises a piercing end configured topierce the compressed gas canister.
 9. The bleeding control deviceaccording to claim 7, further comprising a valve configured to initiategas flow from the compressed gas canister.
 10. The bleeding controldevice according to claim 7, further comprising a regulator connected tothe gas supply line, wherein the regulator is configured to regulate apressure inside the inflatable balloon when the compressed gas canisteris activated.
 11. The bleeding control device according to claim 10,further comprising an adjustable control connected to the regulator,wherein the adjustable control is selectively adjustable to vary thepressure inside the inflatable balloon when the compressed gas canisteris activated.
 12. The bleeding control device according to claim 7,wherein the inflatable balloon comprises a hemostatic and/or antibioticmaterial.
 13. The bleeding control device according to claim 1, whereinthe compressed gas canister contains pressurized air or other gas. 14.The bleeding control device according to claim 1, wherein the inputelement is an activator or an adjustable control.
 15. The bleedingcontrol device according to claim 2, further comprising a stopconfigured to prevent the piston from moving beyond the stop in alongitudinal direction of the outer storage container housing.
 16. Ableeding control device comprising: an outer storage container housing;a compressed gas canister connected to the outer storage containerhousing; wound blocking content arranged within the outer storagecontainer housing; and a valve configured to determine an opening degreeof the compressed air canister.
 17. The bleeding control deviceaccording to claim 16, wherein the compressed air canister causes thewound blocking content to deploy from the outer storage containerhousing when the opening degree of the compressed air canister is at apredetermined opening degree.
 18. The bleeding control device accordingto claim 16, wherein the wound blocking content comprises packed gauzeor other absorbent material.
 19. The bleeding control device accordingto claim 16, wherein the wound blocking content comprises an inflatableballoon.
 20. The bleeding control device according to claim 19, furthercomprising a gas supply line connecting the compressed gas canister withthe inflatable balloon, wherein the compressed gas canister isconfigured to inflate the inflatable balloon by supplying gas throughthe gas supply line.